YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM A DUMMY

We all remember those public service announcements created and run by the US Department of Transportation in the 1980s and 1990s. Well, if "you can learn a lot from a dummy,"then you certainly can gain knowledge from the smart and savvy writers on the numerous social networking and electronic article sites in existence today. And I do not just mean by reading blogs or articles.

The content and quality of many blogs and e-articles is second to none. However, as a one relatively new to the world of online publishing, I was mistakenly under the impression that the blogs or articles themselves were where the reading not only began but also where it ended.

BLOGS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING

I have learned over a short period of time, though, that while the blogs or articles are invariably clever, engaging and informative, they are only the beginning. The thoughts of the author are oftentimes the catalyst for discussion and debate, particularly when the topic is a timely, hot-button, or industry related one. To me, this is where the real fun and opportunity to learn begins.

DON'T FORGET TO READ THE COMMENTS

I am certainly not taking a self-righteous stand, here. I am not proposing that in order to properly participate in the online community one must read each comment on a blog or e-article. For many, this may be quite impractical or even not all that interesting. I can tell you from my own experience, however, that there is just as much if not more to be learned from these comments than there is from the actual post.

We must remember that social networking and electronic publishing sites provide a forum for people with some similarities but with different specialties and from all over the world to share ideas. Much of this knowledge sharing, I have come to learn, occurs in the comments section. There are instances where I am reading a relatively brief comment and wishing that the author would expound upon it in a longer post.

A DUMMY SUMMARY

Anyway, the advice from this dummy is to read the comments. Not because it is right, wrong or indifferent to skip them. I encourage you to do so simply because it makes good sense, and you will invariably learn something.